After months - even years - of campaigning the 46m or so UK voters have made the decision, but now what happens.

Here we take a look at some of the predictions and what they mean for Merseyside.

The economy

Vauxhall's HQ Hooton House

Dire predictions were made about the potential fate of some of Merseyside’s key industries during the campaign.

The “Remain” campaign faced accusations of being “Project Fear” and last week Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson warned of the risk to Ellesmere Port’s Vauxhall plant in the case of Brexit, while car manufacturers said they feared their industry’s £15.5bn-a-year contribution to the economy could be damaged by a vote for Brexit – with job losses on the cards, in comments echoed by the company’s owners General Motors.

Workers at Vauxhall and JLR will now be expecting those in power to act quickly to protect their industries and agree trade deals.

Now will be the task of convincing companies Merseyside is still a good place to come, highlighting benefits such as the port, universities and growth in the city as we watch how the international markets for currency and shares react to this decision and negotiations get underway with the EU and the rest of the world.

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EU cash

The Union Jack flag flies besides the flag of the European Union (Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

The cash – admittedly around a third of what the region received in the past – was to be focused on reducing youth unemployment and improving skills for local workers and we will now be looking at those from the Leave campaign to use the money they promised would be saved by Brexit to ensure young people in Merseyside get the skills training they need.

Politics

Prime Minister David Cameron (Image: Dominic Lipinski /PA Wire)

As Merseyside politicians battle for the new metro mayor role, most eyes will now be turning to Westminster and the future of the Government. Will David Cameron reshuffle, will he even remain Prime Minister. Will George Osborne follow through with his threatened budget slashing public spending - many have said they would vote against it, threatening the very position of the Government and the prospect of another General Election.

But there are other issues, assuming Scotland has voted to Remain, could see a return of calls for another referendum north of the border, while there will be questions about the free movement across border of Northern Ireland with Eire, which remains part of the EU.

Immigration

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Many of the Liverpool city region’s universities have close links with the EU through research and this may now be under threat according to the warnings of the Remain campaigners, but of more immediate concern will be the status of the EU staff members and students‎, while the NHS also relies heavily on workers from the EU and could also face difficulties.

And on the flip side are the “ex pats” - actually immigrants for other EU countries from the UK - who may now find they are forced to return to this country. It is estimated, based on figures for 2015, that around 1.2 million people born in the UK live in other EU countries and may fins themselves headed back this way.

Travel

Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Anyone heading on holiday shouldn’t need to worry straightaway – but we will need new UK passports, instead of the current EU ones.

However, the markets had been reacting poorly to a possible Brexit and unless the Chancellor has a trick up his sleave, we can expect foreign currency to cost more as the value of the pound falls.

And of course Liverpool John Lennon airport has been a beneficiary of EU funding to help its expansion in recent years and this potential investment source will no longer be available.

Football

Liverpool FC This is Anfield sign and tunnel at Anfield.

Liverpool and Everton will find it harder to hire European football stars if we vote to leave the EU , a top lawyer warned.

Current rules mean that players from the European Economic Area (EEA) face no restrictions on where they play their football within the EU.

The EEA includes all 28 EU countries plus Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

Tighter immigration rules are a key plank of the Leave campaign’s manifesto and well now have to see what decision is made on immigration and how football clubs respond.